Collapsible bed-rest



A. G FULLER.

COLLAPSIB'LE BED REST.

APPLICATION FILED: MAY 14, 1918.

ADA G. FULLER, or WASHINGTON, nrs'r uor or ooLUMBIA.

COLLAPSIBLE BED-REST.

1,se1,o4.2.

Specification .of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1920.

Application filed "May 14, 1918. Serial No. 234,482.

T 0 all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that'I, ADA G. FULLER, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Collapsible Bed-Rests; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device intended "for use by invalids, convalescents, or other persons confined to bed, but who are able to sit up in bed for a period of time each day.

The object of the present invention is to provide a-bed rest of this nature that will be comfortable to the patient in any of the varying degrees of the reclining angle to which the back of the device is set with respect to the base of the structure, that will be light in weight, easy of adjustment, and

will fold readily into a compact package that can be stored in a minimum space.

The construction of this bed rest is such that, due to the side pieces extending far to each side of the hinge for the back, the tendency of the rest to slip or slide back ward is obviated.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same in folded condition.

Fig. 8 is a detail shown in side elevation illustrating the method of slightly reducing the angle the back makes with the bed or base piece; and I i Fig. 4 is a detail showing the base piece and support in cross section to illustrate the action of the locking hook.

In general, the bed rest of my invention consists of two similar side members 1 and 2, drawn together by a tourniquet 3 and held in spaced relation by a plurality of spacer bars. Each of the side members consists of a base piece 4 and an upright 5, these parts being connected by a hinge 6 located at a point somewhat in the rear of the center of the base piece 4:, and being held in adjusted position by a support 7, connected at its upper end to the upright by a plurality of links 8, 8, which are pivoted to the uprights as well, so that, with a given position of the lower end of the support the upper end, while resting against the upright, may assume either one of two positions, one as shown in Fig. 1, with the link extending downwardly i from its pivotal connection with the upright, and the-other, as shown in Fig.1 3, with the link extending upwardly while the end of the support is receivedin an indentation 16 extending transversely the full width of the base piece, which, as will be seen from the drawings is of the same width as the support itself. The locking hook therefore securely holds the parts in pivotal relation with each other, as best seen in detail in Fig. 4.

The two uprights are held in spaced relation by a spacer bar 17 having reduced cylindrical ends loosely received in circular holes 18 atthe top of each upright. The uprights are drawn together by lacings 19 passing through holes 20 in the uprights and through gromets 21 in the canvas or other textile back 22 of the device, the lacings also maintaining this textile back in taut condition. A second spacer bar 23 located near the hinge connection between the uprights and the base pieces is of identical construction with the bar 17 and fits in holes 24; in the base pieces of the same size as the holes 18 so that these spacer bars shall be interchangeable. A rear bar 25 is provided on the other side of the tourniquet, and is likewise interchangeable with the spacer bars previously mentioned,

The tourniquet is of theSpanish twist construction, and consists of a cord 26, sutficiently long, when untwisted, to permit the withdrawal of either of the spacer bars for the base pieces, but when twisted by'the lever 27, the cord acts in the usual manner to tightly bind the base pieces to the spacer bars, the lever, during this operation extending about equally on either side of the'cord. When the desired tension is secured, the lever is slipped to one side of the cord at which time it will engage the rear bar and will hold the parts in their desired position as will be understood.

In front of the uprights, the base pieces are. each provided with an arm rest 28 and a foot piece 29, the latter being hinged to the base piece as at 30 and adaptedto drop down over theedge of the bed whendedevice as a whole.

sired. When not'so'used these foot pieces fold up tightly against the base pieces andform a slight shoulder 31 which offers an obstruction to the sliprping backward. of the of the center of the base pieces as I have 'found by practical experience that where the base, pieces do not extend forwardly a considerabledistance beyond the pivotal connection of the back, the device willcontinually slip backward due to the pressure stored in a minimum space.

of the patient against the back rest. :The device illustrated is extremely light, and as will beseen from'Fig. 2 can be folded and In. order to foldthe device it is not necessary to entirely collapse the structure as in packing it for storage, but it is sufiicient to merely fold the back against the base and thertwo his result is also aecomplished by placing the hinges in the rear foot pieces against their respective base pieces. Acatch of. the usual kind may be provided for the footpieces, ifdesired, but

since this is an obvious expedient, it 'forms' is not illusbed rest, a base' having a plurality of pivot pins, a'support adapted to engage any. one of .the pivot pins,at one end, and with the back at the other end, a back hingedto-thebase, and a link pivoted toithe back" and to the support whereby the back may be held in anyone of a number ofpositions Wit'hrespect to the base.

ADA G. FULLER. 

